Damsels in Distress ★★★★☆

US indie darling Greta Gerwig stars alongside Adam Brody and Analeigh Tipton in Whit Stillman's first film in 13 years, Damsels in Distress (2011) - an alternative take on the American frat movie that falls somewhere between a parody of middle-class contemporary social life and a high-browClueless (1995).

Violet (Gerwig) is an incredibly pedantic, presumptuous and borderline obsessive compulsive student at Seven Oaks College who strives to be remembered for creating something significant like a new dance craze - which she believes unlike education or medicine, is a far more meaningful and life affirming pursuit. She leads a trio of girls working in the university's suicide prevention centre who through a combination of tap dance and doughnuts are attempting to shake-up the college campus' male-dominated environment of 'operator playboy types' and rescue their fellow students from depression and their own self-imposed low standards.


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The Monk ★★★☆☆

Gothic literature and cinema has often failed to enjoy the same glowing relationship that they did during the silent era, with sinister source material too often used to create a camp horror sub-category that lacks the dark, foreboding atmosphere of such films as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Vampyr (1932). Dominik Moll's medieval thriller The Monk (2011), a French adaptation of a Matthew Lewis novel, looks set to help reinvent this ailing genre.

On a stormy night in rural Spain a crying baby is abandoned at the gates of a monastery. The baby is adopted and brought up by the monks who inhabit this isolated commune. He grows up to become the orders most powerful and pious preacher - Brother Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel). His sermons are famous throughout the parish, with the locals receiving him with a mixture of respect and fear. However when Valerio - a young disfigured character who wears a mask to hide their burnt face - arrives at the monastery a series of devastating incidents begin to unravel which puts Ambrosio's spirituality to the test.


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African Cats ★★★☆☆

Disneynature's latest film African Cats (2011) attempts to capture the magic and wonder which made March of the Penguins (2005) such a resounding success. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart (previously Samuel Jackson for the US release - it still remains unknown as to whether this switch was to make the film more palatable to a UK audience or because of how critically panned Jackson's original recitation was) African Cats combines cutting edge wildlife documentary techniques with a dramatic storyline that’s quintessentially Disney.

Focusing on two species coexisting in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, African Catsfollows the stories of two feuding lion tribes and a cheetah attempting to raise her cubs in this unforgiving terrain. The lions are locked in a territorial war, with two arch nemeses (Fang, an elderly protector of a close knit pride and the unfortunately named Kali - the film's malevolent villain) both intent on laying claim to the reserves numerous lionesses. Our single mother cheetah is named Sita and her story is perhaps the most engaging - trying her hardest to protect, feed and teach her five rambunctious cubs from the perilous wildness and its assortment of vicious predators.


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Breathing ★★★★☆

Austrian actor Karl Markovics (best known to UK audiences for his starring role in 2007 Academy Award winner The Counterfeiters) has stepped behind the camera to make his debut feature film Breathing (Atmen, 2011), and in the process has created one of this year's most heartfelt and moving films.

Roman Kogler (Thomas Schubert) is a nineteen year old boy who's spent the last five years in a juvenile detention centre. He'll soon be up for parole but will only attain his freedom if he can prove himself in the outside world by successfully holding down a job - a task that's impeded by Roman's powerful sense of guilt which, coupled with the devastating effects evoked by his mother's abandonment, leaves him struggling to reintegrate into society. However, a job opportunity working in a morgue slowly begins to help Roman find his way back towards the real world - that is until he's confronted with the body of a woman who bares the same surname as him, leading this wayward adolescent on an emotional journey to find his mother whilst simultaneously allowing him to truly understand his guilt.

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Beauty (Skoonheid) ★★★★☆

Winner of the Queer Palm at last year's Cannes Film Festival, South African director Oliver Hermanus' sophomore feature Beauty (Skoonheid, 2011) is a devastatingly powerful story of obsession and sexual denial, which in itself acts as a powerful allegory for his country's continued transition from a nation of archaic beliefs and traditions to a more open and accepting culture.

François (Deon Lotz) is a devoted husband and father living the suburban dream thanks to his successful Timber company. However, despite this seemingly serene existence he struggles with an internal battle against his repressed homosexual desires. So far, François has managed to keep his sexuality hidden through the support of a weekly group consisting of other married men in similar situations. Despite engaging in all-male orgies together, they detest the thought of any 'faggots' joining their exclusive 'married men only' group. However, Francois' restrain is put to the test when he meets Christian (Charlie Keegan), the handsome son of a long-lost friend. Christian is too much for Francois to ignore - leading to him becoming dangerously obsessed with this engaging young man, and in turn threatening to tear apart the delicate family dynamic he's carefully fabricated.

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Lockout ★★★☆☆

Before Guy Pearce ascends into the cinematic stratosphere with Ridley Scott's long-anticipated return to sci-fi Prometheus (2012), the former Neighbours star can be seen starring opposite Maggie Grace in James Mather and Stephen St. Ledger's Lockout (2012) - an adrenaline fuelled amalgamation of frantic thrill-per-minute action with the claustrophobic tension of a futuristic thriller.

MS One is a maximum security prison stationed in Earth's orbit, home to over 500 dangerous criminals - a horrific mix of murderers, rapists and the mentally deranged. The inmates are kept in an artificial stasis, an experimental approach to penal containment which has alerted the interest of the President's daughter Emilie (Grace) - a strong-willed idealist concerned that the prison is little more than an experiment to explore the potentially fatal effects of stasis hibernation on deep space explorers. However, when an unprecedented and violent mutiny breaks out, Emilie finds herself held hostage by a rag-tag band of psychopaths. Enter Snow (Pearce), a rebellious and loud-mouthed agent currently under investigation for a crime he didn't commit (!?), who's hired by the President to rescue his daughter and clear his name.

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The Gospel of Us ★★★☆☆

Michael Sheen stars in director David McKean's The Gospel of Us (2012) - a big screen adaptation of the groundbreaking National Theatre of Wales performance arts play The Passion which took place last Easter in Port Talbot. Consisting of a weekend long staged contemporary re-imagining of the last day's of Christ, the play also starred Sheen amongst 1000s of locally sourced extras and acted as a celebration of Port Talbot's close knit community and the resilience of this once prosperous Welsh town.

Distorting the original biblical text to relate to a modern day audience, Sheen plays The Teacher - a softly spoken individual whose disappearance for forty days has left him with no recollection of the town he used to call home. He returns during the Easter celebrations on Port Talbot beach where a suicide bomber has captured the crowds attention by staging a protest against the external influence of the I.C.U - a company masking their ambitions to drain the town of its resources through false charity and financial temptation.

The Teacher manages to prevent the terrorist from detonating his bomb and in doing so attracts copious followers who now see him as a focus point for the resistance. His presence is clearly a threat to the I.C.U who perceive him as a dangerous commodity and soon find a way to use him as an example of their tyrannical control over this small town.

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Black Biscuit ★★☆☆☆

Fabrizio Federico's Black Biscuit (2011) is the flagship film of the director's Pink8 Manifesto - a maverick new way of creating cinema based loosely on the principles of the Dogme 95 movement and the works of Harmony Korine but with a stronger focus on improvisation and breaking away from the linear foundations of narrative filmmaking.

Black Biscuit's fractured narrative loosely follows the life of Chet (Federico), a driven but ultimately lost soul who one day finds his true calling is to be a filmmaker. Working as a male prostitute Chet soon finds his dreams slipping away from him as he becomes accustomed to the comfort and money of working - albeit from an unconventional career

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A Cat in Paris ★★★☆☆

At a time when 3D 'experiences' are being used to fleece a few extra pence of generous parents and numerous sequels and spin-offs of CGI family films are saturating cinema listings, it comes as a welcome breath of fresh air to see there are still films like Academy Award nominee A Cat in Paris (2010) being made. Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol's children's animation is a lovingly hand-crafted piece of escapism which shows that today's discerning child audiences don't have to be hand fed pristine prints of outlandish adventures to be entertained.

Dino is a cat living a double life. By day he's the caring companion of Zoe - a little girl who since losing her father to the hands of a notorious gangster has become mute and unable to construct a true bond with her police detective mother. At night Dino takes to the rooftops of Paris as an accomplice to Nico - a burglar with a heart almost as large as his swag bag. However, an unusual twist of fate brings Dino's two worlds together, with this fearless feline finding himself in a perilous situation with his two closest companion's lives in danger.

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Return ★★★☆☆

Following the recent influx of anti-war films with a more inwardly-looking perspective, Liza Johnson's debut feature Return (2011) stars Linda Cardellini as a female soldier unable to reintegrate into society after the horrors she witnessed in Afghanistan, alongside Michael Shannon and John Slattery.

On returning from a military tour of duty, Kelli (Cardellini) is excited to return to Ohio and once again embrace her husband (Shannon) and two young daughters. She's reluctant to discuss her experiences abroad but it's clear for all to see that she’s returned a different woman than the one who left - despite her instance that "nothing happened out there" and "a lot of other people had it worse than me" - a mantra she religiously recites each time she’s broached about the subject.

Bottling up her emotions soon begins to take its toll on her personal life, with her patient husband quickly becoming jaded with her detached mood and emotionally distant behaviour. This disenfranchisement with life back on American soil soon spreads, having a detrimental effect on both her job and friendships - eventually leaving her with nothing but the memories which haunt her.

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Titanic 3D ★★★☆☆

Re-released to mark the 100 year anniversary of one of history’s most famous tragedies (or for you more cynical readers; a chance for James Cameron to milk some more cash from his obsession with stereoscopic filmmaking) Titanic 3D sees one of Hollywood’s most successful blockbusters sail its way back onto the big screen.

Despite now being 15 years old, there isn’t a cinema patron unfamiliar with Cameron’s tale of Rose (Winslet) and Jack’s (Di Caprio) doomed romance. Loved and hated in equal measure by young and old there’s no denying that Titanic for all its manipulative schmaltz and dire dialogue remains one of cinema’s most grandiose achievements. However, whilst it’s clearly understandable that the opportunity to re-release one of Hollywood’s highest ever grossing films during the centenary year of its historic subject, the decision to retrofit it into 3D is both utterly pointless and morally repugnant – especially when considering the hundreds of innocent souls who perished on that fateful night.

The film’s brief exposition, following a group of treasure hunters searching for a lost diamond (the ‘Heart of the Ocean’) is quintessentially nineties, gently reminding the audience of the hideously stunted dialogue of numerous other blockbusters of the period. However, once we find ourselves thrust into the past and placed on board the Titanic it’s clear to see how the film wooed so many. The sheer scale of the production still remains impressive and stepping back onto the decks of this ill fated ocean liner is an experience best enjoyed on the big screen.

The film is still littered with the same problems it always was and whilst Di Caprio isn’t as tedious to watch as he was back when he adorned the walls of every high school teenage girl the script remains riddled with problems. The contrived story of love against the constraints of economic class theme is dealt with in such a heavy handed manner that it dilutes the emotional resonance of Jack and Roses’ onscreen relationship – indeed the film’s first half remains an endurance test for anyone who appreciates nuanced character development and a natural evolving storyline.

However, the third act, where the film’s ill-fated, titular ship collides with its icy nemesis, remains an enthralling experience. This real time depiction of Titanic’s final hour helps mask the film’s daunting runtime, exploding as it does into a tense, nerve shattering finale. Once Cameron’s epic period romp transforms into the type of destructive blockbuster that were two a penny in the nineties the film truly begins to flex it visual muscles.

Throughout Titanic 3D it feels like the retrofitted 3D is being saved for this dramatic finale. Indeed with the exception of the clunky glasses indenting themselves on the rim of your nose for the majority of the film’s runtime you’d be forgiven for forgetting the film was in 3D at all. However, during the third act’s chaos and panic it becomes even more jarring, with numerous action sequences appearing much the same as they did 15 years ago, albeit with a little more added depth to them. Perhaps intended to smooth over some of the film’s dated CGI effects the results are ironically detrimental, instead only highlighting the film’s use of early green screen technology. Cameron’s extravagant romance still remains an impressive feat of filmmaking but is in no way improved by this extra dimension with Titanic 3D only enhancing the belief that retrofitting 2D films into 3D doesn’t work, with the results generally lacking the visual awe and spectacle promised by the format.

It remains a mystery that out of all the cherished films of history Titanic was chosen to be retrofitted when more suitable films remain untouched. Love it or hate it, Titanic remains an impressive piece of mainstream entertainment, finding the right balance between visual spectacle and chocolate box romance, but as an experiment in 3D technology this classic love story falls flat.

Titanic 3D docks in cinemas 6th April 2012.

Mirror Mirror ★★★☆☆

It's a story almost as old as time itself... no not Snow White, but rather never taking a trailer on face value. Tarsem Singh's re-imagining, Mirror Mirror (2012) (one of two interpretations of this famous fairy tale due for release this year - the other being Rupert Sanders' Snow White and the Huntsman), belies its cringe-inducing promotion to become one of this year's must charming family films.

Singh's high gloss adaptation is set in a kingdom ensnared in the clutches of greed and vanity. The Queen's (Julia Roberts) rule has turned this quaint province into a gloomy, poverty stricken community where nobody sings or dances any more. For fear of being outdone by the picturesque princess of the former king Snow White (Lily Collins), the Queen banishes her to an isolated chamber in the recesses of her lavish palace. However, on her 18th birthday, Snow White manages to sneak out and is shocked to see the extent of which this once joyous kingdom has descended into abject poverty.

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Tiny Furniture ★★★★☆

Written, directed and starring Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture (2010) is a delightfully twee, existential comedy which takes a wildly imaginative approach to romance, family and the confusion which surrounds graduating. Also starring Dunham's own mother and sister, and shot within their family home, Tiny Furniture is a prime example of micro budget filmmaking at its very best.

Aura (Lena Dunham) is a 22-year-old young woman suffering from post graduate delirium, who’s begrudgingly forced into returning home from university to live with her artist mother (Laurie Simmons) and overachieving sister (Grace Dunham). Recently heartbroken after her long term boyfriend (described by Aura's condescending sister as little more than "a speck of granola" in the breakfast of life) has returned to Ohio to 'find himself’, Aura begins the long and tricky process of deciding which path her life should take, attempting to find something which defines her, whilst simultaneously dealing with the same domestic conflicts which were apparent before she left.

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Wild Bill ★★★★☆

On the surface, Dexter Fletcher's directorial debut Wild Bill (2011) appears to be little more than yet another gritty independent British feature, seemingly conforming to the archetypal formula of such films to create yet another bleak piece of social commentary. However, thanks to a deeply heartfelt script and a cast which boasts a wealth of British acting talent (including Charlie Creed-Miles, Will Poulter, Andy Serkis and Jaime Winstone), Wild Bill successfully adds a fresh perspective to this overused and heavily saturated genre.

Out on parole after eight years of imprisonment, Bill (Creed-Miles) returns home to find the two sons he left behind fending for themselves after their mother carelessly abandoned them. Dean (Poulter) the eldest of the boys has found himself a construction job on the London Olympic site (despite only being 15) and has so far been the sole provider for himself and his younger brother Jimmy (Sammy Williams). Bill is reluctant to play father, with Dean equally uninterested in welcoming back his transient dad, however his release from prison has alerted social services and suddenly the threat of a life in care becomes very real to Dean and his younger brother - leading the boys into blackmailing Bill to stay and for all intensive purposes present himself as the caring father he should be.

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Act of Valour ★☆☆☆☆

Featuring a cast of active-duty Navy SEALs and based on 'real life acts of valour', former film stuntmen Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh's 2012 directorial debut Act of Valour is an adrenaline-soaked action adventure fuelled on tired clichés and a simplistic grasp of world politics - a banal and incredibly manipulative piece of military recruitment with all the charm and charisma of an 18th century press gang.

The assassination of an US Ambassador in the Philippines illuminates a potentially devastating plot to undermine the integrity of America's democracy. The extent of these activities isn't truly understood until a team of highly trained Navy SEALs rescue an informant from a heavily guarded terrorist base. What they discover is every honest American's nightmare scenario – with a team of corrupt Russian arms dealers in cahoots with Muslim extremists to use the secret tunnels built by the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle suicide bombers into America. The SEALs must then navigate through a treacherous series of shoot-outs, nautical assaults and dodgy European accents if they're to save their country from the duel threat of 'terror and tyranny'.

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Unedited Ending:

It's the film's unabashed call to arms which is perhaps the most repulsive element of Act of Valour, with the film's atrocious reliance on the popularity of video games only match by its ideological depravity. From its pre-deployment beach party where we're introduced to these elite soldiers and informed of their tragic pasts and previously directionless lives (one was a shelf stacker whilst another was found 'dirt poor' in Trinidad) this heavy handed depiction of the army as a redemptive and educational career choice becomes painful to endure. If it wasn't for the film's complete lack of subtly then it might have been considered a dangerous piece of governmental propaganda, luckily though even the most impressionable minds should be able to see past Act of Valour's aspirations to be a clever piece of promotional filmmaking for the continued army recruitment drive for the ongoing battle against terror.

With an ethical code evolved from a foreign policy built on fear and paranoia, watching Act of Valour's Seal’s defend such stalwart American ideals as freedom and democracy is a hilarious, yet often painful experience. With its villains perceived as little more than the same stereotypical, one dimensional malevolent enemies of liberty and independence we've been subjected to time and time again, it becomes easier to see why America's foreign policy is often viewed with such contempt across the globe.

We Bought a Zoo ★★☆☆☆

Light on animal shenanigans but high on schmaltz, Cameron Crowe returns to narrative filmmaking after a brief sabbatical to make music documentaries with We Bought a Zoo a family friendly tale based on the real life story of former UK journalist Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), who after the untimely death of his wife uprooted his family to a new and remarkably different lifestyle in the country.

Using a familiar Hollywood mould, We Bought a Zoo transfers the film’s plot from Dartmoor Zoo in England, to sun-drenched California. Despite this change in location the pleasant climate hasn’t dampened Mee’s grief for the loss of his wife. His two children are dealing with it quite differently, with his Daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) too young to understand, whilst Dylan (Colin Ford) has directed his disenfranchisement at his gothic art work and getting himself expelled from school. Mee comes across the Zoo which would soon become his home whilst searching for a new house away from the painful memories evoked by his wife’s recent departure. After a drawn out search he finally finds the perfect rural family home, the only catch is that it comes with a barely functioning zoo attached – with part of the sale agreement being that the owner maintains the upkeep of this ailing wildlife sanctuary. At first this fresh challenge excites Mee, but it doesn’t take too long before bureaucracy and the financially crippling cost of food bills begins to take its toll – endangering the future of ‘Rosemoore Wildlife park’ before it’s even had a chance to reopen. Thankfully help arrives in the form of his brother (Thomas Haden Church) and the motley crew of Zoo keepers he’s inherited (played by Scarlett Johansson, Angus MacFadyen, Elle Fanning and Patrick Fugit).

Constantly pushing beyond the boundaries of acceptable sentiment into the type of contrived emotional manipulation you’d expect from the most repugnant of made-for-TV family films, We Bought a Zoo can at times make for a gruelling viewing experience. Just when it looks like Crowe has found the right tone to carry his film forward, he quickly oversteps the mark into a series of overly mawkish set pieces, with this loose dramatic interpretation lacking the foundations required to carry its heavy handed, overly saccharine storyline. It’s a shame as beneath the warm and fuzzy facade of the film lies an interesting tale of repressed grief and the traumatic effects of maternal loss on a close knit family – unfortunately when this narrative device is used it’s done so in such a maudlin way that it’s impact is instantly diluted, quickly evolving into a collection of absurd and hideously misguided dream sequences.

The overpowering soundtrack by Sigur Rós’ Jonsi attempts to cover up the ineptitude of the film’s clumsy script, however, it’s excessive use soon becomes increasingly grating and instead of masking the atrocious delivery by the actors it only illuminates their failings. It’s difficult to tell if the stunted performances from Damon, Church and Johansson stems from the film’s weak script or a genuine lack of interest in the project – either way their wooden depiction of these one dimensional characters doesn’t go unnoticed.

What perhaps is most exasperating about We Bought a Zoo is it’s implausibility (despite being based on true events) and its disregard for common sense. At no point does anyone question the motives behind Mee’s rash actions, and the financial effects on his family this life changing sacrifice involves. Benjamin’s brother desperately attempts to be the voice of reason, constantly trying to bring a much needed dose of realism into his brother’s extravagant plans – however, much like the father in Marry Poppins (Who’s insightful warning to save your money and invest it wisely was regarded with the highest disdain – despite now being the type of ethos we wish our bankers followed) is instantly shot down, portraying him like a clueless fool unable to relinquish himself from the real world and become a carefree dreamer – a dangerous message to preach during such an economically unstable period of history.

Far too boring for kids (who’s recent cinematic intake has resulted in a more sophisticated and discerning audience) whilst too detached from reality for adults, it’s hard to see what type of audience will actually enjoy We Bought a Zoo with its incredibly formulaic story failing to capitalise on its intriguing source material. Indeed, the moment the film succumbs to such new age rhetoric as “Let a little sunshine in” you become certain that there’s little here other than a collection of cheap, nauseating narrative devices accompanied by a collection of severely underused animal extras – an inoffensive, yet totally misguided film that’s ultimately forgettable.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia ★★★★★

Nuri Bilge Ceylan first broke onto the world cinema scene when his short film Koza (1995) was nominated for the Best Short Film Palme d’Or at The Cannes Film Festival. Since then, he’s gone on to be nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or award four times, won the Best Director prize for Three Monkeys (2008) and the Grand Jury Prize twice – first for Uzak (2002) and then for Once Upon A Time In Anatolia. The film showcases Ceylan’s ability to tap into his nation’s culture whilst also creating something sublimely beautiful that can be appreciated on a global scale.

Opening with a painterly presented wide shot of the Anatolian steppes, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia observes a painstakingly meticulous investigation into a mysterious murder. We follow a local police chief and his crew of diligent yet dim-witted assistants as they escort a pair of criminals around the seemingly endless valleys of this picturesque Turkish countryside, in search of the illusive body. They’re joined by a doctor and a prosecutor whose job it will be to examine the body once found. However, whilst Once Upon A Time In Anatolia may appear to be an archetypal crime-drama, this simple facade masks a much deeper, philosophical film…

The most notable element of Cylan’s latest endeavour has to be his trademark ability to capture the natural beauty which surrounds his narrative. Visually alluring, the film’s composition is utterly sublime – totally mesmerising and, at times, completely overpowering. Formerly a photographer, Ceylan has often been criticised for being unable to find suitable material in which to wrap his lush cinematography around; however, it’s these hypnotic and often breathtaking shots that totally immerse us into Ceylan’s world, creating a realistic sense of tension and slowly building the emotionally effective connections which bind us to his thoroughly complex cast of characters.

Whilst Once Upon A Time In Anatolia is commendable for its technical prowess, within these sumptuously framed shots lays a subtly brilliant script – a gentle mix of profound philosophical ideas and infectiously enjoyable comedy. Amongst the film’s languid pace lies a collection of off-hand remarks and broken conversations which cover the gamut of human existence – from marriage, death and divorce to some genuinely laugh-out-loud discussions about prostates, smoking and Clark Gable. Indeed, it’s this ability to depict how humour can be found during even the darkest moments which makes Once Upon A Time In Anatolia such a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable study of human behaviour.

Undeniably, there will be some who struggle with Once Upon A Time In Anatolia’s lengthy runtime and relaxed pace; however, to truly immerse yourself into these frustrated characters’ quest, this delicate approach is required to amplify the onscreen emotions and, in turn, draw the audience into this painstaking, yet beautifully observed investigation. This extended runtime also allows Ceylan to portray the individual roles of his multifaceted cast. His incredibly varied mixture of characters acts as an allegory for the varying social economic groups which comprise Turkish society. Whilst their often whimsical dialogue may digress from the plot, each snippet enlightens us on the current state of Turkey and its diverse population – a delightful microcosm of society working in unison with each other.

One of the most fascinating elements of Once Upon A Time In Anatolia is how the theme of hiding the truth and the motives we invent to justify our ‘little white lies’ subtly connects Ceylan’s cast. Each of the central characters has a truth their hiding, and each of them has their own reasons for doing so. The doctor hides his secret to protect the memory of a loved one, the prosecutor out of denial, and the film’s rugged criminal out of shame. It’s the one facet which links these incredibly different men – and the one element that ultimately unites them, making for a fascinating character study of the fragility of human emotions, regardless of class or social stature.

Completely open to interpretation, this expansive meditation on human frailty is a beautifully presented piece of social commentary which belies its crime genre synopsis. Never asking questions of its character’s motives, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia is a deeply involving, meticulously fashioned and fascinating film – and perhaps Ceylan’s greatest work to date

Bel Ami ★☆☆☆☆

 

Boasting an ensemble cast which includes Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas and Robert Pattinson, Declan Donnellan and Nick Omerod's Bel Ami (2012) attempts to combine the sumptuous settings and period sensibilities of Guy de Maupassant's original novel with a slice of contemporary drama - sadly culminating in an abysmal experiment that lacks any of the lavish charm of it source material.

Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, Bel Ami chronicles Georges Duroy's (Pattinson) ascent from an impoverished ex-soldier to perhaps the most successful man in France. After a chance encounter with an old army college, Georges finds himself working for a prestigious Parisian newspaper. Whilst his prowess with the pen may lack the verbose approach of his contemporaries, his ability to manipulate the wives of these powerful men soon sees him at the pinnacle of this socioeconomic ladder - with his powers of seduction leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak behind him.

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Project X ★☆☆☆☆

From producer Todd Phillips (The Hangover [2009], Old School [2003]) and first time director Nima Nourizadeh, Project X (2012) is a found footage-style examination of high school culture that successfully manages to sink to the lowest depths of entertainment.

The moment Project X's destructive catalyst Costa (Oliver Cooper) declares to the camera during the film's opening scene that he's going to 'get his dick wet' we know what type of humour we're about to become subjected to. He's organising a 'game changing' house party for his incredibly uncool friend Thomas' birthday (Thomas Mann) - conveniently having the whole event filmed as an additional gift. Thomas' parent are away celebrating their anniversary, leaving their apparent 'loser' of a son home alone for the weekend. What transpires is a monumental party that any ageing rock star would be pleased to call their own. However, things soon escalate out of control, with Thomas's party falling into chaos at a rate only match by the film's rapid descent into a loathsome collection of increasingly inane jokes and set pieces.
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Carancho ★★★☆☆

From Palme d'Or-nominated director Pablo Trapero and starring one of the most recognisable faces in South American cinema, Ricardo Darin (The Secret in Their Eyes [2009]), Carancho (2010) is a morality tale with a twisted noir mentality - an unconventional romance set against a repugnant and deeply disparaging depiction of Buenos Aires.
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